SEATTLE — Seattle police are looking for the drivers involved in two different "street takeover" events over the weekend. They caused traffic jams and major concerns for people living and working nearby.
"Felt like chaos and you something you see at a frat party," said Clay Church.
A party that many in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood didn't want. "One hundred to 150 people out here with their cars essentially, drag racing, doing donuts,” said Church. “Kind of complete lawlessness, really."
That’s how Church described the scene of a street takeover held outside his apartment on the corner of 3rd Avenue and Clay Street early Sunday around 1 a.m. He saw people using lime scooters and orange cones to block off the intersection, which set off a string of events.
"Ten fireworks I saw,” said Church. “Multiple were thrown at the cop cars directly,” said Church. “That's kind of when the cops backed another block. [It was] really loud between that and the cars, complete chaos."
Police said due to the lack of officers and the hostility of the crowd, they monitored the situation from afar until people left the area. Ending a weekend full of surprises.
"We see things on Friday nights. But you don't expect this type of thing,” said Keely Walker.
Walker, an executive producer for KING 5 News and more of our nightside colleagues had a front-row seat to the takeover event that happened outside the station near T-Mobile Park.
"We were very nervous someone was going to get hit by a car,” said Walker. “Just with the mass amount of people out there and with these cars just spinning."
KING 5 employees said the street takeover lasted less than 20 minutes. From the station’s tower camera, a bystander can be seen throwing an object at one of the cars. An altercation with other bystanders ensued. That's when police vehicles intervened.
The events have residents asking city leaders for more accountability.
"They need to understand what folks go through who do live in downtown and understand that it's just not acceptable," said Church.
A statement from Jamie Housen, the spokesperson for Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell, told KING 5 that these events are dangerous for everyone. A statement from Housen reads, in part:
"Mayor Harrell believes it is critical that we work to prevent this behavior and hold offenders accountable using all tools available, including law enforcement efforts, new safety technologies, and legislation recently passed by the City Council. We would defer to SPD on the specifics of these particular events and law enforcement tactics.”
No arrests have been made for either of the events as of Monday afternoon.